Making Changes FACILITATING THE TRANSITION OF DANCERS TO POST-PERFORMANCE CAREERS BY WILLIAM J. BAUMOL JOAN JEFFRI DAVID THROSBY Research Report Making Changes FACILITATING THE TRANSITION OF DANCERS TO POST-PERFORMANCE CAREERS RESEARCH REPORT BY WILLIAM J. BAUMOL, JOAN JEFFRI AND DAVID THROSBY WITH SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE FROM SUE ANNE BATEY BLACKMAN, VIRGINIA HOLLISTER, ANNEMARIE SCHOEPFER AND LAUREN TEHAN RESEARCH DIRECTOR Joan Jeffri ADVANCE BOARD, SUPPORT & CREDITS ADVISORY BOARD ADVANCE BOARD William J. Baumol Philippe Braunschweig, Co-Chairman and David Throsby Harvey Lichtenstein, Co-Chairman Paul Bronkhorst Deborah Bull RESEARCH TEAM AND STAFF Michael Byars William J. Baumol, New York University and Princeton Alexander J. Dubé University Andrew Holland Joan Jeffri, Teachers College, Columbia University Kevin McKenzie David Throsby, Macquarie University Garry Neil Sue Anne Batey Blackman, Princeton University Annemarie Parekh Cheryl Carnahan, Consultant Stephen Pier Virginia Hollister, Macquarie University Linda Yates Annemarie Schoepfer, Teachers College, Columbia University ADVANCE PROJECT SUPPORTERS Lauren Tehan, Teachers College, Columbia University AEA Consulting Altria Group, Inc RESEARCH PARTNERS (SURVEY) Andrew W Mellon Foundation Joan Jeffri, Teachers College, Columbia University, U.S. Arts International Adrian Schriel, Tanz Ensemble Cathy Sharp, Switzerland Bank Juliius Baer David Throsby, Macquarie University, Australia Career Transition for Dancers (U.S.) Caroline H Newhouse DATA PARTNERS (COUNTRY PROFILES) Consul General of Switzerland Paul Bronkhorst, Dutch Retraining Program for Professional Dancer’s Career Development (U.K.) Dancers and International Organization for the Transition Dance Magazine of Professional Dancers, Netherlands Dancer Transition Resource Center (Canada) Keiko Fukui, Geidankyo, Japan Dance USA Pia Hartmann, Hartmann Nagel Art & Consulting, Germany Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Joan Jeffri, Teachers College, Columbia University, U.S. Dutch Retraining Program for Professional Dancers Claire McCaughey, The Canada Council for the Arts, Ernst C. Stiefel Foundation Canada Howard Gilman Foundation Pierre-Michel Menger, Centre National de la Recherche International Organization for the Transition of Professional Scientifique, France Dancers (IOTPD) Gabriela Medina, La Manga Dance Company, Mexico Monaco Dance Forum Annemarie Parekh, Pro Helvetia, Arts Council of Nathan Cummings Foundation Switzerland, Switzerland National Endowment for the Arts Andrew Princz, ontheglobe.com, Hungary The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Annemarie Schoepfer, Teachers College, Columbia Princess Grace of Monaco Foundation University, U.S. Pro Helvetia, Arts Council of Switzerland Adrian Schriel, Tanz Ensemble Cathy Sharp, Switzerland Reed Foundation Jeanette Siddall, Arts Council England, U.K. Rolex Corporation Joysanne Sidimus, Dancer Transition Resource Centre, Sage Cowles Canada Swiss Federal Office of Culture Lauren Tehan, Teachers College, Columbia University, U.S. UNESCO David Throsby, Macquarie University, Australia Published by The aDvANCE Project. New York, NY. 2004 MANAGEMENT AND FUNDRAISING Adrian Ellis, AEA Consulting Copyright © Trustees of Teachers College Columbia Jeanne Bouhey, AEA Consulting University in the City of New York / Research Center for Libby McNeece, AEA Consulting Arts and Culture, 2004. www.aeaconsulting.com The aDvANCE Project logo and book designs: Lost In Brooklyn Studio www.lostinbrooklyn.com SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to all of the current and former dancers and professionals in the dance field who care about transition and without whom this report would not have been possible. PREAMBLE We are pleased to present the results of what we believe to be the first study of its kind, a coordinated inquiry into the career transition of professional dancers in different countries. In total, eleven countries were included in this study. Sample surveys were undertaken in three countries to provide insights into the challenges of career change as seen from the viewpoint of the individual dancer, and country profiles were written in eight additional countries to illustrate further the global environment of dance. In addition, the four existing career transition centers con- tributed substantially to the Summary Statement by pro- viding illuminating information derived from their data. TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary Statement 1 Part One: 13 Facilitating the Transition of Dancers to Post-Performance Careers I. Introduction: Dancers in Transition, the Challenge 15 II. Research Approach and Methods of the Study 19 III. The Dance Industry Worldwide: Highlights of Our Country Profiles 23 IV. Dancer Career Transition Programs and Practices 29 and The Four Transition Centers V. Facing Transition: The Situation of the Individual Dancer 45 (Survey of Three Countries) VI. Guiding Hypotheses and the Pertinent Evidence Collected 53 VII. Our Conclusions and Recommendations: 65 Some Promising Programs and Practices Bibliography 73 Part Two: 79 Country Profiles and Ancillary Materials Socio-Economic Characteristics of Dance in Eleven Nations: Unabridged Country Profiles I. Dance in Australia 83 II. Dance in Canada 107 III. Dance in England 117 IV. Dance in France 127 V. Dance in Germany 137 VI. Dance in Hungary 149 VII. Dance in Japan 155 VIII.Dance in México 163 IX. Dance in The Netherlands 177 X. Dance in Switzerland 185 XI. Dance in the United States 197 Appendix A: 217 Some Dancer Career Transition Programs Beyond the Four Formal Centers I. Dance Companies: Transition Initiatives, Partnerships with 217 Universities, and Scholarships II. Dance Schools: Transition Preparation Programs 222 III. Service, Labor, and Membership Organizations: Transition Efforts 225 IV. Government Initiatives for Facilitating Dancers Transition 228 V. Other Programs that Facilitate the Transition of Dancers 230 Appendix B: 233 Survey Methods for Australia, Switzerland, and the United States Appendix C: 237 Survey Questionnaire and Responses (Raw Data from Australia, Switzerland and the United States) WHY THIS REPORT? There is an urgent need for measures to ameliorate the problems of transition faced by all professional dancers. Summary Only four countries—Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States (U.S.)— are fortunate enough to have formal transition centers or Statement other transition measures in place, and these programs have made significant progress in helping many dancers in these countries deal with the challenges of career change. But more generally, it remains a fact that deter- mining what should be done is hampered by a lack of understanding of the problem, inadequate data, and the absence of an objective basis for systematic analysis of alternative strategies. At the initiative of the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD), an international organization based in Switzerland, the present study has been undertaken by an international research team to assess the extent and nature of the challenges of the transition process, to gath- er factual evidence to test various propositions about the THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSITION effects of transition on the individual dancer, and to sug- gest ways in which the problems of transition may be Dance is a career that entails an extraordinarily high level addressed by dance companies, service organizations, of passion, commitment, extensive periods of training, public agencies, and dancers themselves. However, fuller and a professional life that is relatively brief, since many understanding of the issue and its scope requires recogni- dancers have to retire in their early thirties and some even tion of the fact that the problems of transition can differ earlier. Yet in most countries, dancers are among the most from one country to another. This report therefore explic- poorly paid of artists, despite their great contribution to itly adopts an international point of view in analyzing the the cultural life of society, and inadequate recognition problem and in making recommendations. often compounds their morale problems. For professional dancers reaching the end of their performing careers, this WHAT IS A DANCER? confluence of factors creates economic, psychological, and educational difficulties for which they are often ill- This study is concerned with professional dancers. It is equipped and which are likely to have a profound effect well known that the definition of “professional” in the arts on the rest of their lives. Having lived in a relatively is somewhat problematic, because a simple income test inward-looking and intensely focused world, they find that may be appropriate in most other professions cannot themselves suddenly cast out from the stimulus and sup- readily be applied to artists. Rather, we consider profes- port that the dance world provided. Our research indi- sionalism to derive from a combination of factors includ- cates that the skills and experience that professional ing a dancer’s training, career commitment, standard of dancers accumulate during their dancing years, including work, income and time allocation, and we acknowledge self-discipline, team work and stamina, are significant that precise definitions of professional status differ among and transferable resources that are in danger of being countries. wasted as their active dancing careers come to an end. Thus, inadequacy of career transition support not only In regard to dance forms, we distinguish among dancers creates significant